Mission at Work: Carissa Snedeker

I am a walking, talking testament to the success of biomedical research.

I was born with a hole in my heart; a condition known as an ostrium primum atrial defect, and it wasn’t until I reached my mid-twenties that it was even discovered.  I was born in 1956, and at that time open heart surgery was in its infancy and mortality rates were high, but by the time I had my surgery in 1982, survival rates and successful outcomes were by far the rule rather than the exception.

At the age of 25, I underwent open heart surgery to close the two-inch hole located between my two atria and to repair the cleft in my mitral valve.  Going into the surgery, my heart was working overtime to provide oxygen to the rest of my body but was still falling short.  According to my cardiologist, my body was only getting about 30% of the oxygenated blood it needed.  After the surgery, I remember looking at my fingers and toes and, for the first time in my life, seeing pink nails!

In the years following my surgery, I started experiencing intermittent episodes of tachycardia, or rapid, pounding heartbeats.  When my heart wasn’t beating quickly, my resting heart rate was in the mid-40s and sometimes as low as the mid-30s. As the years passed, my tachycardia got progressively worse including: lightheadedness and unusual chest sensations.  So at my annual physical, I brought these issues to my doctor’s attention and she immediately referred me to a cardiologist.  Did I mention I hadn’t knocked on the door of a cardiologist in about twenty-five years?

After running the gamut of echocardiograms, Holter monitors, stress tests, etc., I was diagnosed with Sick Sinus Syndrome, which is a combination of paroxysmal supra ventricular tachycardia (PSVT), atrial flutter, and bradycardia (slow heartbeat).  This condition was likely a result not only of my congenital defect, but the scarring from the repair.  To put this diagnosis simply, my heart has poor electrical wiring and was short-circuiting or finding alternate electrical pathways to keep my heart going.  For me, the fix couldn’t be medication because of my already low resting heart rate, so I opted for a procedure called catheter ablation.  This consisted of the insertion of electrode catheters into the heart, some to map the heart, and some to repair the misfires by ablating the area causing the rapid heartbeat.  Due to the scarring already present in my heart, my doctor had his hands full and ablated six spots in my left atrium and two in my left ventricle.

The ablation went well, but shortly after the procedure, other heart issues were brought to my attention.  After two weeks of dizziness, breathlessness, one four-day emergency hospital stay, a diagnosis of 1st Degree AV block, and finally one last emergency admission on November 18, 2009, I received a dual-lead pacemaker that has made all the difference in the world.  My heart no longer beats too slowly, ensuring my body gets all the oxygen it needs, and the device synchronizes the upper and lower chambers of my heart.  I feel better than I have in years!

Today, I am incredibly proud to work at Charles River.  I can truly appreciate the work this company does on a personal level because I know Charles River has done a great deal of medical device work directly related to the procedures that saved my life.

-Carissa Snedeker, Executive Assistant, Reno, Nevada